Bar Symon

"Good Food in the Suburbs? When Pigs Fly!"
Bar Symon

What word could you possibly use to describe a bounty of beef, a heaven of ham, a plethora of pork? Meattastic, my friends. As our intrepid six-some made our way out to the lovely ‘burb of Avon Lake, our expectations for Bar Symon were drastic and meattastic.

Eric described the drive up to the restaurant as feeling more like a we were traveling to "'enjoy' some county line dancin' in what appeared to be a fairly deserted shopping center.” This was is a far cry from the sassy locales of other Symon restaurants in Tremont or East 4th. Lackluster first impression aside, the internal décor was a mix of industrial/roadhouse/modern pub, a welcome contrast to the cookie-cutter exterior. The emblem of the flying pig underlines that here, the motive is meat.

The “Bar” of Bar Symon earned its place in the title. Not only does it command attention, but from it's smooth counter slides a worthy variety of beers. Our thirty-minute wait dissolved while contemplating the tantalizing beer menu.

We were the(n) escorted to a table in back and hunkered down to peruse the menu. Starters chosen: the House Chips with Blue Cheese Fondue ($4) and the Popcorn with Feta and Oregano ($3) The table was split on the Chips - some called it flavorful, while others found a few soggy chips and thought the sauce a bit dull. The popcorn was a universal hit – the spices and the feta a perfect accompaniment to the popcorn, which in turn was a perfect partner for beer.

For our main dish Joe and I ordered the Symon Burger ($9). It came on an English-muffin style bun, topped with egg, cheddar and bacon. The burger was fabulous – with the perfect amount of sweet caramelized bits around the edges. The richness of the over-easy egg added a sort of decadent creaminess.The side of fries with Lola ketchup were a forgettable afterthought – mine were slightly flaccid and tasted as if they languished in the pass-through for a while.

Eric sampled the Grilled Meatloaf with banana pepper relish and Lola ketchup ($12) with a side of Bacon Creamed Corn ($4) and found it fantastic, though the corn left something to be desired.

Gabe tried the “Barberton Style” Fried Chicken with truffle honey & Parmesan ($15). While we were forewarned by others who’d said it was too sweet, Gabe enjoyed the combination.

Sara chose Grilled Pork Chop with peaches, coriander & honey ($17) and found it sounded better than it tasted.

Lauren selected the Mac & Cheese, a Symon staple, with rosemary, goat cheese & chicken ($15) and found it hearty and flavorful, and in an appropriate portion size, a rarity with pasta dishes these days.

We soldiered on to a bevy of desserts.

The Turtle Sundae was...love. Whatever they toasted the nuts with – sea salt? MSG? Some illegal substance? Those little bits of goodness provided the perfect balance of salty and sweet. I couldn’t tell if Eric was kidding when he swore it included of (remove) tiny slivers of bacon, but I really didn’t care. I was rather salty myself, rather then sweet, after realizing I had to share.

The Guinness Sundae paled in comparison to the Turtle, but in the words of Sara, the PB&J and Banana Ice Cream sandwich was "deceptively delicious" and was paired with another blissful sauce – peanut butter, of which Sara and Gabe seemed very fond.

Overall, prices were reasonable, especially for a Symon restaurant. Food on the whole was enjoyable, even with a few minor disappointments on the way. I wouldn't expect much from the sides. Regarding service, I don’t recall wanting (waiting?) for anything, but a 20% tip was included in the bill for our party of 6. In the words of Eric, “apparently someone decided that the service is just fine."

I suspect I’ll be back to visit to sample some of the more unique offerings. Bar Symon rates above average, and has options to satisfy most dedicated carnivores. The beer and popcorn might tempt me to leave Lakewood and sojourn out West again.

While I hesitate to call the place “meattastic” just yet I think the menu was meaty enough to warrant praise. To this end, the Supper Club recommends Bar Symon.